Endless Summer Winter Covered vs Uncovered
BiggerB
9 years ago
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luis_pr
9 years agoBiggerB
9 years agoRelated Discussions
How do you cover windows like these?
Comments (63)Lots of great comments and Ideas to choose from. Solar screens are great for blocking out heat as are cellular darkening shades and some shutters are effective when closed. My own preference would be the suggestions of Festerman and Tami Jones. I don't know of anything which beats the value of properly installed top down and bottom up room darkening cellular shades for comfort and versatility. We have several historic homes. Some with single pane windows. I have priced external shutters and custom blinds and its simply not in my budget. After finding room darkening cellular shades, I have not looked back. Do the math and the aesthetic and comfort comparisons. Some of the ideas above are stunningly lovely, but you have to prioritize according to your own values, not mine or anyone who does not live at your house. If your heart tugs for a higher price option, please skip a few movies and lattes and get the solution that feels best. It is your home, love it....See MoreWhat are the pros and cons of solatube vs velux solar tubes ...
Comments (216)heidifielding, The smallest size is a 10". The Solatube has a two piece flashing for a tile roof, which Velux does not. There is a new architectural design series with a visually beautiful roof doem, but it is no longer a dome, but a more flat light gatherer-for lack of a better word. You can see it on solatube.com. I work for Solatube so I do have some bias, however, in addition to Solatube being a premium product, you are always able to pick up parts and find someone to complete repairs, if the need arises. Each licensed, premiere dealer has a warehouse of stock. If you purchase something off the shelf, it can be a challenge to locate pieces, should the need arise. Also, I do not recommend the flexible tubing. You lose much light as the light travels down the tubing because of the flexy indentations....See MoreLanscapeing 203 Year old Colonial Home / Winter
Comments (7)I live in the upper Great Lakes, and I leave my hydrangeas with the flower heads up during the winter (perhaps trimmed a bit) so the snow will cover them and make pretty shapes, then cut them down in the spring. Mixing in some evergreens will add some winter interest and height variation. Some decorative topiary frames can look nice too and complement the classic architecture. Urns (not ceramic!) can be nice too--with evergreens or twigs in them for the winter and flowers for the summer. Of course, garden sculpture, decorative bird feeders, and sculptural garden benches can look nice too. I would be careful to not plant anything too close to the house and lower plants in front of the windows. Hydrangeas take up a lot of room and expend quite a lot (depending on variety). You don't want to trap moisture in front or end up with anything too big in 10-20 years. Ask a local nursery for help to find the right plants. We have Poncilla (sp?) with yellow flowers in front, and they are hardy and stay low. Here are some great idea books here on how to add interest to your winter garden: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/7-container-plantings-to-bring-winter-gardens-to-life-stsetivw-vs~5907871 http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/110126/list/Winter-Interest-in-the-Garden https://www.houzz.com/magazine/color-sparks-a-winter-landscape-stsetivw-vs~1754305 https://www.houzz.com/magazine/8-gorgeous-trees-for-winter-interest-in-the-garden-stsetivw-vs~5304298 https://www.houzz.com/magazine/5-important-winter-tasks-to-keep-container-gardens-in-shape-stsetivw-vs~5864839...See MoreWinter Pool Care
Comments (22)Hello, and thank you for your inquiry. Winterizing isn't absolutely necessary, as long as the swimming pool was built properly. In our climate, the walls and floors are 12" thick reinforced concrete to withstand the freeze thaw cycles that we experience. The pipes are installed below the frost line, and the control systems have freeze protection on them. The use of automatic pool covers will also help retain heat in the pool during the winter months. All that said, we don't have a large percentage of clients that keep their pools open for the winter months. Most people that attempt this find that they don't get enough usage out of their pool to justify the costs of running it. Hot tubs are easier to clean because they are smaller, but vigilance is required for that same reason. Chemical swings are likely, especially because of the higher temperature water and the bather load in a smaller vessel of water. Salt Water Chlorination is a very heated subject around the world, especially in professional pool builder circles. I would encourage you to do your research online to ascertain the pros and cons of these systems. A thumbnail sketch of what they are is as follows: Salt (NaCl) in the pool water is circulated through an electrically charged cell at the equipment pad that breaks the NaCl apart, creating several by-products; including Hypochlorous Acid (HClO) and Sodium Hypochlorite (NaClO), which are the same chemicals that are already used as sanitizers in swimming pools. You are already probably familiar with Sodium Hypochlorite by its brand name, Chlorox Bleach. The common misconception about Salt Pools is that they are chlorine-free. In fact, Salt Pools are making chlorine right in the pool. Thank you again for your inquiry, and we hope that this information is useful for you....See MoreSmivies (Ontario - 5b)
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